TV Series Review: 13 Reasons Why

Netflix's newly released series 13 Reasons Why, based on the young adult novel by Jay Asher, is certainly getting its fair share of hype. Despite disliking the book when I read it several years ago, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and give the show a watch to see if it would deliver the galvanizing drama that it promised. Upon finishing the first season of 13 Reasons Why several days ago, I wanted to share all of my thoughts and opinions about it here on my blog.
13 Reasons Why introduces the character of Clay, a high school student who is grappling with the recent suicide of his co-worker and classmate Hannah Baker. One day, he finds a box of tapes sitting outside his front door. Upon listening to them, Clay realizes that Hannah recorded them right before her suicide, outlining thirteen reasons why she killed herself and the people directly involved. As the show progresses, it becomes clear that there is much more to Hannah's suicide than anyone initially realized.
What really caught my attention while watching 13 Reasons Why is how unabashed the creators were depicting the myriad intense topics that this show addresses. I really appreciate how nothing was censored simply because this show is based on a young adult novel. Time and time again, screenwriters tend to get scared when dealing with teenage issues on camera. The most gritty elements are glossed over or often completely omitted simply for the sake of having a safer rating. 13 Reasons Why clearly brakes away from this, with its TV-MA rating as its stamp of approval. Although my feelings on the acting in 13 Reasons Why are mixed, there are some standout performances. I especially want to give praise to Alisha Boe and Miles Heizer, who played Jessica and Alex respectively. Justin Prentice perhaps deserves the greatest credit for his very believable portrayal of Bryce. The fact that I found his character to be detestable is a credit to how well Prentice's acting is in this show. A final point I want to make in support of 13 Reasons Why is just how great its soundtrack is. I was introduced to several new songs, and the creators of the show did a praiseworthy job of supporting each episode with music that always seemed to fit perfectly with the events of the storyline.
I do have several critiques of 13 Reasons Why though, with two main issues at the forefront. The first is involving the casting choices of Hannah Baker and her mother. There was a disconnect between Katherine Langford and her portrayal of Hannah Baker; I never felt like she truly got into the skin of Hannah. Because of this I wasn't able to develop any sort of emotional connection to Hannah throughout the entirety of the show. I also disliked Kate Walsh's portrayal of Olivia Baker, Hannah's mother. It seemed at times like she was overacting her grief, rendering her character nearly unbelievable. The other negative element of 13 Reasons Why is its writing, particularly with the lead character Clay. I found him to be the most uninteresting character of the entire show, and this ultimately created a somewhat dull storyline at certain points. This may partly be a fault of the book, but regardless it was a facet of 13 Reasons Why that I took notice of.
In conclusion, Netflix's 13 Reasons Why is a show that is not afraid to shine a light on many of the issues that plague our society, especially among young adults. For this I will give it a standing ovation. It's the delivery where things are a bit lacking. Between the stale lead character of Clay and my apathy towards Hannah, this show is rendered into a teen drama that doesn't particularly stand out from the numerous other shows available. If you're still on the fence about watching it or not, I would recommend at least giving the pilot episode a try. Even if it doesn't become your favorite TV show of all time, 13 Reasons Why certainly does a solid job of delivering a drama-packed mystery that is great to binge-watch.
Rating: TV-MA

Genre: Drama/Mystery

Seasons/Episodes: 1/13

Release Date: March 31, 2017

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Monthly Amusements: March 2017

March has been quite a good month in terms of finding entertainment that I enjoy. Between TV shows and movies to watch, music to listen to, and books to read I have managed to stumble on some pretty great finds. As always, the following items do not have to be released or published in March 2017. As long as I discovered them sometime in the past month, they can be included on this list. So here is my final rundown of my favorite things from the world of entertainment in March 2017.

Movie: Inception

Go ahead, criticize me all you want for not seeing Inception sooner. This has just been one of those movies that I had been meaning to watch for literally years, but only got around to viewing it a few weeks ago. Between the brilliant directing of Christopher Nolan, the brilliant composing of Hans Zimmer, and the fact that this is my brother's all-time favorite movie, I know I should have seen it waayyy sooner. But the bottom line is that I did finally watch Inception, and it far exceeded my expectations. A lot of people are scared off by the complexity of this film, but that's exactly what makes Inception so good. Seven years since its release, this movie still outperforms most motion pictures in terms of its originality, directing, soundtrack, acting, and just about every other aspect.
My Rating: ★★★★★

TV Show: The Fall

My feelings about the British crime drama The Fall are extremely mixed, to say the least. This TV show is riveting in a way that I can't really explain. There's a lot about this series that I don't like: it features a very slow-moving plot and an array of odd and unlikable main characters, although the actors all do a stand-up job of portraying their respective parts. But where this show does deliver is with its dark, eerie atmospheric quality. I found myself quite inexplicably drawn to this show, and despite its faults The Fall made for a captivating show to watch.
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Book: A Man Called Ove

I recently read and wrote a review (read it here) for Fredrik Backman's novel A Man Called Ove. It ended up being my favorite book that I read this month, despite having a few minor faults that I further elaborate on in my review. I ultimately concluded that this book offers quite a lot though, featuring both an original story and a great protagonist. If you haven't read it already, I would definitely recommend checking it out.
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Music: Interstellar Soundtrack

Really all I can say about the soundtrack to the motion picture Interstellar is to stop what you're doing and go listen to it right now. I mentioned above how much I love Hans Zimmer as a composer, and his brilliance is glaringly apparent on the Interstellar soundtrack. The music forms such an integral part of the film, but is also just as powerful when listened to on its own. I particularly love the tracks S.T.A.Y and Mountains, the latter of which displays an incredible example of how to build intensity in music. Whether you've seen Interstellar or not, this soundtrack is certainly one you don't want to miss out on.
My Rating: ★★★★★

Book Review: A Man Called Ove

The most recent book that I've read is the humorous and heartwarming A Man Called Ove, written by Swedish author Fredrik Backman. This was a novel that I was requested to write a review for, so I had absolutely no idea what it would be about when I started in on chapter one. I can say that overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed A Man Called Ove. Despite containing a few cracks in its foundation, this book has plenty of substance and uniqueness to make itself stand out in a plethora of published literature.
This novel introduces the character of Ove, a grumpy old man who is very much set in his ways and is not afraid to be judgmental of those that think differently than him. One day a young couple moves in to Ove's neighborhood, knocking down his mailbox in the process. This event begins a new course of events, one that reveals Ove's true character and shows that there's more to him than meets the eye.
While reading A Man Called Ove, I felt that all of its positive and negative elements were about evenly balanced. My first impression was how well written this novel is, with extremely clever choices in words used by the author. The plot unfolds in a descriptive flourish that is not overdone. Adding to this is the humor that really makes A Man Called Ove shine. This is the first novel that I've read in a long time that uses humor so deftly. Backman seamlessly manages to blend comedy with the grumpiness and mildly depressive life of Ove into a combination that works perfectly. Another component that makes this book stand out is how well-developed the main character is. Ove becomes more complex from page to page, making readers that much more invested in his story. One final high point of A Man Called Ove that I want to give mention to is its ending. The author manages to wrap everything up into a conclusion that works amazingly with the rest of the story. Blending heartache and humor, the final pages of this novel balance out many different emotions superlatively.
Getting into what I didn't enjoy about A Man Called Ove, I first want to address the difficulty of following along with the characters. The story is told from Ove's point of view, and throughout a large portion of the book he doesn't refer to other people by name. Instead he gives them somewhat humiliating nicknames (The Lanky One, Blond Weed, Pregnant Foreign Woman, etc.). Although this aspect of the storytelling does lend a lot of added humor to the book, it also makes it somewhat confusing to follow along with who Ove is referring to. A second critique I have is the lack of emotional investment I had towards the characters in A Man Called Ove. Although I appreciated how well-developed Ove was and loved the juxtaposition that the comical secondary characters added to balance Ove's roughness, I didn't have any deep connection to any of them. To put it simply, I didn't really care what happened to the characters. I was simply intrigued by what was happening and wanted to see the outcome of the plot. The last slightly negative aspect of this novel is the flashbacks on Ove's life. These chapters, although necessary to understand Ove as a character, were simply not quite as entertaining to read as the chapters happening in the present time. I found myself glossing over the portions of A Man Called Ove that describe his life as a child and young man, looking forward to the switch back to Ove's comedic struggles with his eccentric mix of neighbors.
Ultimately A Man Called Ove is a breath of fresh air in terms of uniqueness. I truly haven't read a book like this before, and for that reason alone I would recommend picking it up for a read if you get the opportunity. There are a few shortcomings, but overall Fredrik Backman delivers a heartwarming tale about a bitter man, continuously perturbed by his neighbors, who magically transforms into a lovable protagonist as the story unfolds.
Author: Fredrik Backman
Genre: Comedy, Drama

Pages: 337

Year Published: 2014

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Movie Review: Like Crazy

If you are in the mood for a very real love story that's not afraid to sugarcoat romance, then look no further than Like Crazy. Starring Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin, this film tells the story of Anna and Jacob, two star-crossed lovers both going to college in Los Angeles. Anna is an exchange student from the United Kingdom and must return home once she graduates. Instead she opts to remain in the United States with Jacob, thus violating her visa. After taking a quick trip home to visit her family, Anna is detained while trying to return to the United States. Now separated by thousands of miles, Anna and Jacob attempt to navigate the troubled waters of an extremely fervent long distance relationship.
Where Like Crazy hits the nail on the head is its deftness with visuals. The editing is truly brilliant here. I found myself on many occasions completely understanding and feeling the emotion of a scene with absolutely no dialogue. To accompany the impressive visuals is a perfect score for this film. The music does a great job of setting the appropriate mood for each scene and acts as an auditory translation of what each character is going through. Speaking of the characters, the acting is another high point of Like Crazy. The two main characters of Anna and Jacob were perfectly cast, and I was also impressed with Jennifer Lawrence's performance. The final positive note I want to make is that this film is a truly unique love story, one that many filmmakers are scared to attempt. It's real; Like Crazy doesn't flinch away from the scary and heartbreaking realities of any relationship.
So by now you're probably wondering why I only gave this film three stars. Part of the reason is simply how vapid the plot is. This is a great film visually, but there's not much substance to it. Two people fall in love, get separated from each other, and form lives apart while continuing to make their relationship work. There's just not much else going on here. The other big problem at hand is just how irritating the two lead characters are. Yes, they're perfectly acted, but it's how they're written where things go wrong. At the begining of the film Anna and Jacob are head-over-heels in love, which is a delight to witness on screen. As time progresses however, they struggle to continue their relationship. They form side romances, but refuse to reciprocate any deep feelings for these new people they've let into their lives. The relationship between Jacob and Samantha is particularly frustrating to watch unfurl. One can't help but feel awful for Samantha as she gets dragged through the mud, again and again, because Jacob can't bring himself to commit to her. Toward the end of Like Crazy it basically becomes the story of two people trying to rekindle a stagnant relationship, even though they seem much happier apart.
So, to conclude this movie review I will say that Like Crazy is a solid film. It misses the mark on a few important aspects, but I think that it's many positive elements do a good job of redeeming it. I would recommend giving it a watch if you get the chance. If you can get past the lack of substance in the plot and lead characters you sometimes want to yell at, I think that it's a gem of a romance movie and one that deserves more attention.
Rating: PG-13

Genre: Romance, Drama

Run Time: 90 minutes

Release Date: October 28, 2011

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Movie Review: Lion

Lion, the feature debut from director Garth Davis, is a film that I had been wanting to watch for quite some time and only recently did I finally get the chance to. Between its moving plot, stellar cast and Oscar hype, I was expecting a walloping good movie. I can't say that Lion completely lived up to every single one of my expectations, but it did deliver on many of the aspects that I was hoping it would.
Lion follows the life of Saroo, a young boy living in India with his older brother, younger sister and mother. They are poor but happy, and Saroo looks up to his older brother and wants to do everything that he does. One day, Saroo loses track of his brother and wanders onto a decommissioned train while looking for him. The train begins to move, and before he knows it Saroo is lost in a foreign Indian city completely isolated from everything that he is familiar with. Later on, the movie jumps ahead to Saroo when he is a young adult, having been adopted by an Australian couple. He begins to feel that something is missing in his life, and starts being plagued by memories of his childhood. He decides to use Google Earth to track down his old village and connect with his past.
This film certainly delivers an original, moving story that is quick to enthrall audiences. The first half of the movie that follows Saroo as a young boy in India was especially riveting. Sunny Pawar absolutely shines and is the true standout here. The rest of the cast also had great performances for their respective characters, and I really connected with their emotions surrounding the plot. I also want to point out just how good a job this film did in portraying Indian culture. The first half of the movie is entirely in subtitles, but this had absolutely no negative impact on the experience of watching Lion. If anything, I think it helped add an element of genuineness to the story. This aspect, along with the unfiltered visuals of Indian streetchildren, massive throngs of train commuters, Saroo and his family laboriously collecting rocks, all made this film seem real and captured the life of an Indian boy's experiences through his eyes.
Now I'll move on to what did not work for me with Lion. Although the first part of the film was extremely well done, towards the middle it began to lose me. When the storyline jumps to Saroo as an adult, the plot just begins to grind to a halt. What partly caused this was the complete unraveling of Saroo as he becomes overcome with the memories of his childhood. He essentially goes mad, becoming consumed with finding his childhood home. It gets to a point where his reaction becomes unbelievable; I understand why he wants to discover his past, but he goes so far as to quit his job, disown his brother, and completely cut off his parents and girlfriend. I just felt that his reaction was unwarranted for the situation he was in.
The bottom line here is that Lion is a solid motion picture that I was overall pretty satisfied with. It left a few things to be desired, but I can see why it was nominated for Best Picture for the 2016 Academy Awards. Despite the few problems that I did have with this film, I would recommend giving Lion a watch if you get the chance.
Rating: PG-13

Genre: Drama

Run Time: 120 minutes

Release Date: November 25, 2016

My Rating: ★★★☆☆